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Fuck every cable company and sports league. They can change all the things you just said but it still doesn't change how fucked up everything is. I can't watch my local sports team without having to purchase a bunch of channels I don't ever plan on watching?? Well fuck you, Gary Bettman & Comcast & every other giant cable company & sports league. I bought Game Center and a subscription to a DNS hosting service so now I can watch ALL Red Wings games without having cable. All for less than a cable subscription plus no contract. God I love the internet.

All in all, I liked what I saw but I think we need to do better at finishing, that's for sure. I thought Alfie and Weiss played very well and DeKeyser is going to be VERY GOOD for this team for a very long time. Datsyuk is going to have an amazing year, I feel. I thought he had a great preseason and judging by his interviews, he feels 100% healthy and is ready to go and it showed tonight. I can't help but wonder how good this team could be if our management just learned to let go of some of these senior citizens and play the kids. You talked about the second power play unit, well just imagine what a jolt it would get with Nyquist out there or Tatar. It needs more playmakers.

@ThroatShot@marti783 Step back from the ledge, my friend! I can't believe for a second that Holland would deal either one of those two guys to make room for Alfie or Cleary. He's all about drafting and developing. The guys who are in jeopardy of being traded, in my opinion and from what I've read, are guys like Miller, Eaves, Emmerton and Tootoo. Of course, we still have that last buyout as well. I totally agree with you about the roles that they will be given though. My biggest fear about Babcock is that he'll dump them on the fourth line where they won't shine. It's like using your Ferrari to haul your trailer, haha. I don't mind them being on the third line because I don't think they're ready for prime time, just yet. Being on the first and second line means going up against the other teams top 4 defensemen. I just want to see them on the third line together and I want them to play every damn game, unless they prove to not be worth a spot on the team. Actually, I wouldn't be opposed to Nyquist on the top line with Dats instead of Abby. Tatar, I'd take a wait and see approach.

Yesterday I thought this team moved lateral, not forward or backward. Today, after some more thought, I actually like these signings much more. After really looking at the numbers, you realize Weiss is actually a lot better than Fil, not just a little. Alfredsson's numbers have declined but not as much as you would expect from someone his age. Hell, the year before the lockout he scored 27 goals which is something we could expect him to strive for playing with Dats, Z, and now Weiss.

Not to sound like a PR machine for Holland who loves to use the following line but, getting Helm from back form injury is like another free agent signing as well. Couple that with our talented young forwards having a bigger role...well I can get on board with this team.

I just want to see one more forward come in , and no, I'm not talking about Dan Cleary. Someone like a Brendan Morrow. If we can get him, then damn, I kinda like this team...

I'm going to wait until the dust settles after this free agency to determine whether In Holland we Trust has become a fallacy or not. I have a wish list just like everyone else and I hope most of it comes true. Here it is:

1. Let Cleary walk. (For the LOVE OF GOD)

2. Buy out Samuelsson

3. Re-sign Brunner

4. Sign or trade for at least TWO top 6 forwards (I refuse to accept Abdelkader is a top 6 forward, regardless of what Holland wants us all to believe)

I think the whole idea of buying him out is insane and I don't know where that came from. It doesn't make any sense considering how low his cap hit is. The discussion ought to be about trading him for someone(s) who gives you more than what he can give you. Yes, he's a 30ish goal scorer, but we all know those tend to come in bunches and scoring 10 goals in 3 games isn't as valuable as scoring 10 goals in 10 games. He was on my list of players to "address" but he's not our biggest concern and if he stays, I can live with it. To me, we need to get rid of baggage like Cleary and Samuelsson and give those spots to either our youngsters or free agents. Making moves like that will determine how much I like our offseason.

Disappointing loss but the future is bright. Personally, I think we win this series if DeKeyser doesn't get hurt. I hate pointing the finger at one guy but I think Smith cost us a couple games this series.

Anyway, I look forward to the off season and hopefully we land some free agents to fill in the spots we need.

@behood19 I agree. You have to wonder, at this point is playing him doing more harm than good for his confidence. He seems to be out there for almost every Chicago goal. I think they really screwed up by not playing Ian White at all during the final weeks of the season because they almost have no choice but to keep playing Smith. You can't really bring in White at this point since he hasn't played in months.

The NHL is getting to the point where you don't want a power play because the refs are just going to give it right back to the other team and if your team stinks with the man advantage (like we do), it's going to do nothing but get the other team amped up. That penalty on Smith after the 5 min major was a joke and considering how bad our power play is, I was actually hoping they wouldn't give the Ducks player a major because I knew it was gonna come back to bite us.

I don't know what game Babcock was watching in the third but the play definitely wasn't even. It was all Ducks. At one point I saw two forecheckers and we've shown that we can't handle any pressure on our defense. We simply looked scared to lose in the third. This team needs to learn to play as the 7th seed. We're not the ones who had a record breaking season. We have nothing to lose and we need to start playing like it.

@austikyl Dude, you are all over the place and it's getting really hard to follow you. You just wrote a novel based on almost nothing I said so I think it's time this conversation ended. Obama, tanking seasons, UofM?? Jesus, man, you must have ADD or something.

As for the injuries, I love how you conveniently left out the beginning of my statement, "More often than not." But of course, if you didn't do that, you wouldn't have been able to make your point, now would you :)

As for the Lions, it's because of SUCKERS like you that the Ford family hasn't been forced to sell the team. I'm a fan of accountability. If you're not good at owning a sports team, it's the responsibility of the fan base to stop going to the games and stop buying merchandise until the owner sells the team. But no, emotional little pussy's like yourself, whose mind isn't large enough to grasp the concept that you're actually trying to HELP your team and town, screw the rest of us.

@austikyl@marti783 DAAAAAMN, how much Kool-aid did you drink???? Do you hear yourself? Injuries? PUCK LUCK???? I pray to God you don't come in contact with anyone outside of our fan base because you would be an embarrassment. Basically, you're one of those Wings fans who looks at the world through rose colored glasses, huh? All of our players are the best in the world and if it wasn't for all those pesky injuries (year after year) we'd be the best in the league! First of all, more often than not, injuries are a reflection of how good you are. When we're constantly in the top 10 in man games lost, that means we're a weak team, not unlucky. Puck luck? I'm not even going to dignify that assertion with a response. You honestly sound like you work for the Wings PR department. I love how you're using all these talking points. Over-ripe draft picks? What, did you just come from having lunch with Holland or something?

Yes, we are rebuilding, I'm not denying that. But it's about HOW we are rebuilding. We need to have some roster turnover. We've had some of these players for far too long and they've outlived their usefulness. We need some new blood. If I knew Holland was gonna make some trades and get some new faces in here, then I'd have nothing to worry about. But something tells me, if we make a long run to the CF, people like you are gonna be chugging that Kool-aid and saying, you see I knew we were good! Every single year since '09 people like you have had an excuse as to why we didn't win. Oh, we're just so close! Hell, even if we lose in the first round you'd still be singing this teams praises.

And I never compared the Calgary Flames to Detroit, I implied if we're not careful, we're headed in that direction. Read, then think, then type. In that order.

And I loved the "true fans" routine. What's that? You suggested we might not be as good as we'd like to believe? KILL HIM!

You know, I was just about to write a very long response disagreeing with everything you said but it just occurred to me, the people I am disagreeing with probably don't watch hockey, they just watch the Red Wings. Because if you watch games outside of the Red Wings you would know that Cleary and Abby aren't top line forwards. You would understand that changes need to be made. But instead, you just keep overvaluing our talent because they're in a Wings uniform or you just refuse to accept that maybe some of our players just aren't that good.

@Reddy@marti783@WingNut83@moorecha We don't have a clue whether this team is a contender? Really? My god, I know there are kool-aid drinkers out there but come on. This team hasn't made it further than the 2nd round the past 3 years and we barely made the playoffs this year, but yea, we really can't know for sure.

Year after year we complain about this team not being tough enough, not being quick enough, not being good enough. All I was saying was that if we make a run to the CF, which would be more a result of a good team getting hot than anything else, it would overshadow the REALITY that this team needs changes. I'm not really rooting against my team, I'm just much more okay with us losing in the first round than years past.

And hypothetical for you, would you root for your team to lose if you knew they were eliminated from the playoffs and losing meant having a shot at the no. 1 pick?

@WingNut83@marti783@moorecha I'm not trying to sound like a bad fan but all I'm saying is, I don't have faith in Holland to make the changes necessary to become a true cup contender if we make a deep run in the playoffs. Let's not forget all the complaining we were doing this season about who needs to be traded.

I think we need to ask ourselves a serious questions as Red Wings fans. How far do we really want this team to go? Let's be honest, we don't really have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup this year and now that Dekeyser is out, who was our second best defensemen, we definitely don't have a shot IMO. However, if we make a run, to say...the conference finals, won't that just reinforce to Holland that this team is just a couple of tweaks away from being a Cup contender, when in reality, we all know that's not true. If we lose in the first round, AGAIN, that should make it clear to Holland that changes need to be made. What do you guys think?

PS, I love how quickly Dekeyser picked up on the lovely Wings trait of getting hurt.

As long as he plays Cleary and Abs the way the do, I can't give Babcock credit for anything. Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. Putting those two guys on our scoring lines doesn't make them scorers.

@Reddy@ThroatShot HA! Have you learned nothing this season? This organization LOVES Danny Cleary. I wouldn't be surprised if they put him with Bert and Dats. Honestly, I wish I was joking but I wouldn't even be surprised by it.

Here's what I don't get...Why didn't we trade AWAY players that probably won't be here next year. I understand why we didn't trade to bring players in...it would have been a waste because we're not a true cup contender. But let's be honest, they have no intention of keeping Ian White around. So why not trade him to a team for something (anything) in return. Why just let him sign with a new team in free agency? Same goes for Fillipula. He want's more money than we're willing to give so why not trade him for prospects or draft picks. I don't think any of those players are the difference between us in the playoffs or not. I'm going to be very pissed if we don't resign both players and lose them to free agency because that would be a terribly managed situation by Holland.

@DetCapC19 I'll take back my implication that he wasn't having a good year because I only saw his stats early in the year when he wasn't doing well but it looks like he turned it around. But I still still they're going to be up against it over the next two years. Hell, Kronwall has 3 less points them him and is making like 3M/yr less!

No doubt Shero is the best GM in hockey right now. I think Holland has just gotten way too comfortable with the current roster of people. Year in and year out, his one response at the trade deadline has been, "I like our team." There is some definite truth to the idea that the talents of Z and Dats have been wasted however, let's put this into perspective...

Since the '04 lockout, the league has been increasingly more competitive with each passing season. The Wings reached their peak in '09 and eventually became victims of the salary cap. The expectation of multiple cups in a hard salary cap sport is perhaps a little unrealistic. Look at other elite teams around the league, Pittsburgh has won only ONE playoff series since winning the cup in '09. Also, Shero has the benefit of having a safety net that includes, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and at one time Staal (all either no. 1 or no. 2 overall picks), AND they were all under the age of 21. So if he made a mistake with either a draft pick or a trade, he still has some of the best young talent on the planet to fall back on.

Like I said, Shero is the best GM in hockey right now and Holland can definitely be faulted for sitting on his hands HOWEVER, I still want to give him a chance to redeem himself as the new salary cap is rolled out because I truly think he can and will.

#BringBackMurph? Are you serious? Reading about his firing was the best news I heard all day. It literally brought a smile to my face. I hate to sound like an asshole who's happy about someone getting canned but let's be real, he was a terrible color guy. TERRIBLE. I didn't mind him between the benches or in the studio but I wouldn't be able to live in happiness knowing he was our color man of the future.

Did anyone else notice the little "segment" they did during the broadcast about Dats & Abby. Datsyuk was saying how some people are meant to play the piano and others are meant to pull it, in reference to the different playing styles of the two. It seem like they were actually trying to dignify Babcocks decision. The best was when Larry Murphy seemed to imply that it was an effective line combination and that the two work well together. I almost threw up.

It's only a matter of time before White starts to ask to be traded. I understand that coaches hate to change their lineups when they're winning but he never should have been scratched to begin with, especially not for so long.

If they can fix the unfair advantage the western conference has in making the playoffs, it'd be perfect.

Losing Chicago sucks, and honestly, I almost feel bad for them. They're stuck in a division with teams that get almost zero media attention. Plus, even though the Wings and Hawks might not be as big of rivals on the ice as in years past, the two cities still deeply hate each other so I will definitely miss that.

Franzen is a joke. I truly wonder if he thinks no one can see how uninterested he looks while skating out there. Clearly Babs said something to him to get him going in the third but my question is, why isn't your intensity up for a Sunday game against your arch rival on national tv??? They need to start shopping him soon.

And I refuse to watch ANYMORE games so long as Babs continues to keep Dats with those two jokes. It's just a matter of principal now. Did you see how the Hawks just swarm Datsyuk becuase they know Cleary and Abs are worthless?

Our offense is looking pretty potent (even though a lot of those goals yesterday were flukey). If we could just get some guys back from the injury list I think we'd have ourselves a pretty good looking team. Defense and special teams are still an issue though. And personally, if I was king of the world, I would have Helm (when/if he comes back) center the third line with Tatar and Gus. Screw Cleary and Abs, let them fight for the final spot on the 4th line.

I agree with everything. But since most of those people you speak of are in the minority, I'm going to bring your attention to something else...

A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE is about our training staff (or whoever handles strength and conditioning). I don't have the official stat but how many man games has this team lost due to injury over the past 5-6 years? I'm going to take a wild, but very educated guess and say we're probably in the top 5 in the league. Yet, no one talks about it. We all act like injuries are some act of God and can't be helped. BS! Sometimes, yea, it's a freak accident but I'm sorry, this has been going on for too long and too frequent to think it can't be fixed. Am I the only one who see's a damn trend!?!?

This defense is terrible. I couldn't believe how poorly they played as a group. Every pass seems to be off or fumbled, they over skate pucks, they almost NEVER get their shot through to the net (seriously, did you see how many times Kindl and Quincey shot the puck, only to get it blocked by the defender directly in front of them) and they are always stuck in their own end with the slightest bit of forecheck. I disagree with you about Kronwall. He hasn't been good and I think he is being exposed for not being ready to be the #1 D-Man.

Also, our special teams is costing us points. It's at the point where, I'm actually hoping the referee doesn't give us a powerplay because it will only change the momentum in our opponents favor!